CHAPTER 172: CHAPTER 36: MOTHS DRAWN TO FLAMES (PART 2)

"Yang Wuxu is special?" Why does Pello view an ordinary female student differently?

Wen Maixue’s disdain was apparent, but Pello’s response shattered her years of accumulated confidence in an instant: "She is a friend of Su Ziceng, and Su Ziceng is my prey."

Both Pello and Shang Yin harbored the conquering instincts of a wild beast. The only difference is that Shang Yin, the beast, had been tamed by Pello. Pello had been in Mo City for several years now, and Wen Maixue once thought she had tamed this proud beast, not realizing he was only feigning dormancy.

When his prey, Su Ziceng, appeared, he pounced with astonishing speed that took everyone by surprise.

"I forbid... forbid that person to be Su Ziceng..." That woman, brimming with the fervor of roses, was actually a naïve nineteen-year-old girl who was trying to teach her Su Ziceng a lesson with a worldly wise tone. Wen Maixue was tense, her speech stammered, her eyes filled with fear and confusion.

Her arms wrapped around Pello, burying her head into the fabric of his shirt, the lapis blue tie grazing her cheek, as piercingly cold as winter rain, "Don’t get too close to Su Ziceng, I’ll get jealous, and if I get jealous, I’ll spill all of the past affairs."

Pello’s fingers parted her long hair, winding around her delicate neck. Her fair, soft skin quivered under the cold touch of his fingers, like the finest marble sculpture.

His finger tracing her neck made her think, for a moment, that Pello was going to strangle her. Alone and isolated, death would come silently. But his hand slipped out and wrapped around her waist, rocking her.

The whispers of a lover in the night, warmer than the most entwined chirping of insects, crept into her ear, "Maixue, you rarely throw such tantrums. I do not love Su Ziceng. The Su Family needs someone to repay the debt they’ve been accumulating over the years. Qiao Chu is already dead. The aging Su Qingzhang will get his comeuppance, and their daughter, Su Ziceng, is the perfect candidate to bear the cruellest revenge. You know all this."

Wen Maixue looked up, her smile returning. In the depth of her heart, Pello had bred a gluttonous beast that devoured her jealousy and hatred, turning her into a magnanimous and forgiving woman.

"Remember, just give it three or five years; when Su Ziceng is utterly defeated, that’s when we’ll draw the net. Then, I will still keep my promise to make you the most beautiful bride in the world," Pello reassured, watching the person in his arms, comfortably closing his eyes.

He wiped the sweat from his hair, sighed shortly - hypnosis really wasn’t an easy task. But then, women should be coaxed. Wen Maixue was already wholly reliant on him; it was time to slowly erode Su Ziceng’s consciousness.

The night in Mo City, after the brilliance of fireworks, settled into silence.

At this time in the United States, Su Qingzhang, after a day-long acquisition meeting, was led by an interpreter directly to the Peninsula Hotel where he was staying.

The March winds of New York on the East Coast could blow out the deepest emotions from one’s heart. It’s been almost a month and due to his constant travels, Su Qingzhang needed some good rest. He looked at the cane lying beside him, realizing that over the years, the people and things accompanying him grew fewer and fewer.

The car stopped outside the hotel, a bellboy promptly came forward and opened the door. Every day, everyone worked towards their respective goals, and he, Su Qingzhang, what was he working for, flying all the way from across the ocean? Twenty years ago, he, too, took a plane as large as a bird to the other side. There, he found the meaning of life, only... what he thought was his "meaning" fell apart after just a few short days of happiness.

The interpreter paid a tip on the side. Su Qingzhang took a few steps; he didn’t like waiting. But some people do enjoy waiting.

Yang Wuxu herself could hardly believe that she was now standing on American soil. Her very first flight, and it was such a long duration. She had no idea that overcoming jet lag would be so exhausting. After a series of rough bumps, speaking English that not even her own ears could make out clearly, and after an encounter with an unscrupulous driver, she finally arrived at the hotel with the help of local police.

She wanted to cry but was too exhausted to shed tears anymore. She did not know what the cost of all her actions today would be. All she knew was, right then, she must look terrible, her hair a mess, her suitcase with a broken wheel, her boots soaked.

But this was already good enough, at least "good" enough to meet Su Qingzhang.

Su Qingzhang thought he saw an apparition. An apparition that came back to life after twenty years. But she wasn’t Tina; Tina was a woman who even in death, carried a smile. Her grace could only become an apparition for others to chase.

Nevertheless, even if she had only half the grace of Tina, even a tenth, it would be enough.

What came towards Su Qingzhang was a young embrace, her hair still carrying the scent from home, making one yearn endlessly in a foreign land amidst the cold.

In the week that followed, Yang Wuxu did not return, and Su Ziceng had no idea where to direct her calls. Since Yang Wuxu chose to abandon everything here for the so-called love, it meant that she was ready to face the impending storm.

Standing in the empty dormitory, Su Ziceng had only one feeling – perhaps Yang Wuxu would never return to this place again. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)